The morning begins as any morning. The sun seeps through the curtains to wake me slowly. Sug’s ears flop perfectly in rhythm with my feet hitting the floor. The day is like the others. I head outside where the perfect measure of light comes through, never hidden.
A Hidden Presence
I am thankful my brain waits until I am out of bed and moving before beginning to ponder, reason, and contemplate. The events of the previous day are surreal. I had not taken the time to realize this until the morning. We have been to nearly a dozen funerals together, and while it is never where we want to be, it is where we know we must be. I can pretend to make sense of death when someone is older and has lived an all-embracing life. Yet, when death comes sooner than I imagine it should, my mind and heart long for more time. I did not know them to the measure I wish I had, and I long for a redo. What is this I’m discovering about our unintentional hidden presence? We are more than what others see.
Talents
I walked to my garden this morning. I do this nearly every morning. This was not unusual. I noticed the dry ground and the intense heat but neither held my attention. I could not clear my mind. How do I miss the unique gifts that God created within others? I even miss them within myself every day. Yesterday, I sat quietly listening to the eulogy. My mind kept saying, “I did not know that”. An artist, a collector of the unusual, a lover of travel, a seamstress, and even a gardener like me, all these talents of others I discovered while listening to the reading of a eulogy. Hidden in the façade of busyness and perfectionism, I miss the talents God has given.
Hidden From The Hustle
I continue down the makeshift brick pathway in the middle of my garden. Early in the spring, I planted nasturtiums around my cement pagoda, so I headed over to see them. I check them often to be sure I do not miss their sudden and short-lived blooms. Instead, I found myself at ground level with the tiny toy chicken I had hidden months ago. When I saw it stashed in my gardening supplies while preparing for spring, I smiled and remembered how this chicken had popped up in weird places since my children were little. On that early spring day, I had decided to tuck it away in the small garden window hidden from the hustle.
Slow Your Steps
I doubt anyone else has seen this chicken. Something hidden requires a little more of us to be seen. The sun shines on it sweetly in the morning. Now I smile every time I walk the brick path. The joy from this silly plastic chicken is not received until you slow your steps, squat down low, and take some time to look.
Once We See The Hidden
As children of God, we were made to glorify Him. He has hidden gifts and talents within each of us. Like my hidden chicken, some gifts aren’t noticed by others, but that does not mean they are not there. I’m sad that it took many funerals for this to sink in deeply, but I’m grateful for the thoughts and nudges that may push me to see what is hidden. Life is busy and complex, but I want to remember to slow down, squat low, and smile when I find the hidden gifts God has given. Once we see the hidden, we begin to see what it means to know one another and to give God the glory.
Stay Curious,
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